


Shaky When I Came To Be

by neverbesatisfied



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, F/F, F/M, Reylo - Freeform, absolute garbage, reylo trash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 06:28:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6107935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverbesatisfied/pseuds/neverbesatisfied
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey works at Takodana, the popular bar and strip club owned by one Maz Kanata.</p>
<p>And of course, the night Rey decides to trade in her apron for a nude bikini with matching chains is the night the most infamous gang in Phoenix decides to mix business with pleasure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shaky When I Came To Be

**Author's Note:**

> This is the exotic dancer AU no one asked for, all inspired by the song Somebody Else by The 1975.

Rey drew a hand across her face and looked straight ahead as she drove through the night, the clock on the dashboard reading 9:26 pm and the pavement rough and uneven under her wheels. The roads were all but empty, save for the street lights sporadically casting orange light through the windows and throwing shadows around the interior of her Ford. There was a soothing voice coming from the old stereo system in front, the only sound aside from the purr of the engine. There were few other drivers at this time of night on a Thursday, most people settled in front of the television at home, or cuddled comfortably in bed. 

Rey watched as crooked, outdated neon street signs blinked rapidly through their faulty bulbs, her mind uncharacteristically quiet for once and her hands gripping loosely onto the steering wheel. She had been driving since the sun had set, still uncomfortable with too much time on her hands, the anxiety-inducing reality of bills to pay and work to do an incessant buzz in her ear always making her hair stand on end. 

_This is what you wanted,_ she reminded herself, calmly. _It’s better than the alternative._

Rey supposed anything was better than the alternative.

She could remember vividly the day she had decided to leave her old life behind. It hadn’t even been a year since she had thrown a packed bag of clothes into the trunk of one of Unkar Plutt’s henchman's old pickup trucks, a wad of cash and pocket knife in the pouch of her worn sweatshirt her only means of survival indefinitely. At the time, she had been a naive girl who hadn’t seen much of the world outside of the confines of Unkar’s organization. The daunting reality of living the rest of her life as a slave to the bulging man and his followers until he grew tired of her rested heavily on her shoulders until one day the weight had been too much to carry any longer.

 _Enough,_ she thought resolutely, not wanting to interrupt her fragile peace of mind. She cast her eyes quickly back to clock on the truck's dashboard and sighed. She was on call at Maz’s in a half hour, tonight being the first night she’d work the stage more than the bar. If Rey were being honest, she was absolutely terrified. She had only danced a handful of times over the course of working at Takodana, none of those instances being in front of paying customers.

Loud, drunk, male paying customers.

But Rey was desperate to make a better life for herself and Maz had offered her a spot for tonight that she could not get herself to turn down. The tips she could earn in a few hours were too tempting an opportunity to let slip by, and Rey could use the extra cash more than ever with rent coming up soon. Hell, Rey didn’t even have an acceptable costume to wear. Jessika, one of the dancers who had been with Maz for years, had been gracious enough to offer Rey one of her old pieces, a slave getup that fit her well enough on such short notice.

Rey couldn’t be more grateful for the woman that is Maz Kanata walking into her life. Eight months ago Rey had run out of funds to pay the rent on the one-bedroom apartment she’d managed to rent one night months earlier. She had gotten certified to bartend while with Unkar, sometimes working the bar at his restaurant Jakku on nights when the joint had been busier than usual. The problem with finding work for Rey was not that she was incapable of doing any work, but finding somewhere that would employ her with as little information about her as necessary.

Maz was a peculiar person who Rey had ran into one afternoon while she had been sitting in a coffee shop on the better side of town, looking through the local newspaper for anywhere she thought would be willing to work with her and her less than ideal situation. Maz had wandered past Rey’s table, her too large of glasses slipping down the bridge of her small nose. The woman was so short she barely reached the counter top and ordered the largest possible size of iced tea Rey had ever seen.

Maz had turned her wide eyes to Rey then, having felt her gaze. She smiled broadly, looking sharply at Rey over the brim of her glasses, an curious glint in her eye.

“Hmm…” she had began. “I know your eyes.”

Of course, Rey had blanched, looking behind her, sure that the old woman hadn’t been referring to Rey’s eyes. A girl not from around here who the woman had definitely never seen before. 

“I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people.” She continued, nodding absently, still focused on Rey’s face. “You’re scared. And alone. And running from something, or someone perhaps? Whichever it may be, the past tends to find a way of catching up with us dear.” 

No one else sitting in the small cafe had seemed to notice the two’s exchange, and it wasn’t until Maz’s order had been called that she looked away from Rey, turning back towards the counter and thanking the boy who handed her the plastic container that her small hands could barely grip. Rey had sat still, reeling. She couldn't decide if she should get up and leave as quickly as possible, or demand the strange woman explain herself. She hadn't had too much time to think about her options before Maz had wordlessly walked back to Rey’s small table and pulled the chair opposite from her out with a screech across the tile floor, then clumsily seating herself. 

For a reason Rey still couldn’t understand, the old woman hadn't been entirely off-putting, even having a slightly comforting air to her that settled over the two strangers easily. Maybe it was because Rey hadn't had a conversation that consisted of more than a smile from someone she passed on the street, occasionally accompanied by a wordless nod of their head in several months. No one had taken such an interest in Rey the way Maz had that afternoon, for seemingly no reason. With a few prying questions and a gaze cast down to the newspaper still resting in front of her, Maz had been able to get Rey to admit that she was looking for work and desperate to start as soon as possible.

“You know,” Maz had started, twisting the straw of her drink around making the ice clink together, and only irritating Rey a little bit. “I may have a place that would take you, you could even start tonight if you’re up for it.”

Rey had looked at Maz incredulously, sure that the decrepit woman had been joking, that or the work would be so horrible there was no way Rey could agree to it.

“I own a bar on the other side of town, Takodana. It’s not far from here, I can give you a tour if you want, give you a rundown of what you’d be expected to do, introduce you to the staff. You have to decide before 9 tonight though, since we open at 10 and I’m down a bartender as of 8 this morning. They meet one guy with a fat rolex and two-car garage and then book the first ticket to snoozeville. The suburbs.” Maz clarified at Rey’s blank look.

Rey could scarcely believe her luck, she had been stockpiling job openings for weeks now and what seemed to be the perfect job had literally just plopped down in front of her, with what seemed to be no strings attached.

Of course, Rey was clever enough to know that nothing in this world came free, and had voiced those concerns to Maz before her thoughts ran away with her.

“No strings.” Maz clarified. “I just want you in the back door ten to open every night. You can have one day off a week, besides that I need you behind the bar serving drinks until close. No drinking on the job, and you get one break a shift. That’s all.” She had declared with a clap of her hands, smiling brightly at Rey.

The two had finished at the cafe quickly, Rey leading a surprisingly quick-paced Maz to her car parked in the front. Maz directed Rey through town to Takodana, talking idly about how long she’d owned the place and where she came up with such an odd name. 

“It’s named after the island I grew up on. My little home away from home if you will. Phoenix is just so dry, no trees or green or anything. I needed something to keep home with me.”

The old woman was right when she said it hadn’t been far, because before Rey knew it she was being directed down a street off the main road, desert stretching all around them. There was a lone building standing several yards ahead of them with large pillars jutting up towards the sky and a curtain of flags hanging over the front door. The structure stood like a castle under the bright Arizona sun, looking fittingly worn as Maz had said she’d owned it for several decades now. Rey took a long look before parking in front, shutting off the engine and turning towards Maz. The woman had already maneuvered herself out of the car, which had Rey rushing to open her own door to keep up with her. The two had made their way towards the entrance, slipping through the front door and listening as it slowly swooshed shut behind them. The interior was dimly lit by spotlights on the ceiling and the walls had looked like they were made of stone. All of the chairs were stacked on tables placed throughout the floor. 

Rey had taken a deep breath and walked further down the entry way behind Maz, steps unsure yet determined towards a chance to start all over.

That was months ago, and now tonight would be the first night Rey moved from behind the bar to being center stage.

The radio host brought her back to the present when he introduced the next song on the truck’s station, an electric melody that had Rey turning up the volume, happy for a reprieve from the little walk down memory lane. She was nearing the turn onto the street where Takodana stood tall, at night illuminated by flashing signs promising all the liquor you could drink until the early hours of the morning.

As she drew nearer, she could see that the parking lot was already filling up, Maz's place being especially popular with the locals and getting a fair few of out-of-towners each week. A number of clients were idling by their respective vehicles, while the rest had already begun to make a line at the entrance. Rey could make out the massive figure of Chewbacca standing in front of the door, arms crossed over his broad chest. He had been here almost as long as Maz, another stray she had picked up and opened her heart to. Although Rey was comfortable enough around him, he was obviously a foreigner and hard to understand, a fact he made up for with his intimidating size. The doors didn't open for fifteen minutes, hopefully leaving Rey enough time to mentally prepare herself for the night ahead.

Rey maneuvered her truck through the entry way and towards the back where the staff parking lot was, recognizing most of the cars already parked there. Jessika was here tonight, probably impatiently waiting on Rey to arrive so she could give her the outfit she'd agreed to bring for her tonight. She pulled into one of the available spots and threw the truck into park, reaching behind her for the bag of makeup and hair products she kept tucked away in the back seat. 

With a deep breath, Rey opened her door and stepped out into the night. A slight breeze tousled the loose strands of her hair not tied back into a bun, bringing the unpleasant yet familiar smell of perfume, mixed with body odor and traces of pot. It was nothing Rey couldn't stomach, so she hoisted the bag over her shoulder and headed for the back door, mind whirling and a queasy feeling in her stomach. 

She yanked at the heavy door and cursed how it always seemed to get jammed when she was in a crunch for time. On the third try it flew open, the smell from the parking lot even more distinct now that there wasn't a wall to squelch it.

"There you are!" A voice exclaimed. Rey looked up to see Jessika leaning over the threshold, one hand holding the door open and the other holding what appeared to be very little fabric. She was already dressed for the night, an orange and white string two-piece with black high heels. Trepidation hit Rey then as she eyed the sand-colored bikini set she would don for the night in a very short ten minutes. Jessika must have read the expression on Rey's face and pulled her further into the building and down the hall to the dressing area where about six other girls were already dressed and putting on their last few touches of makeup.

"Rey, everything is going to be fine. We've been over this, you just walk out, shake your ass a little, make eye contact with people, look inviting..." Jessika soothed, clearing off a vanity and pushing Rey into the seat. She made quick work of fixing a braided hairpiece into Rey's ponytail, a matching hair band situated like a crown at the top.

"I know, I know. I'll be fine, it's just first night jitters." Rey rationalized, dumping the contents of her bag onto the table, causing Jessika to abandon her hair and start looking through the products and decide what look to go for.

"It's really not that hard...close your eyes," Jess continued, leaning Rey's head back and bringing up an eye shadow brush so she could see her intentions. "I mean, there's something powerful about it, you know? You're the one in control. Everyone's eyes are on you and you are the only one who can make them feel good. There's a rush to it, too. I guess one of the best tips I can give you is just to be confident and work the crowd. You and I are scheduled to get on stage around the same time, so I'll help you through it. Okay, open." she finished, stepping back and to the side allowing Rey to see her reflection in the vanity mirror. 

Rey looked at Jessika's handiwork, her small eyes ringed with dark eye shadow and a hint of blush decorating her cheeks. The look was subtle yet far different from the fresh face Rey usually wore. Rey almost let out a sigh of relief at the reminder that she would have Jessika to play off at the start of the night, hopefully helping to build her confidence for when she would have to do her own solo act.

"Looking good Rey, you excited for tonight?" a voice called out from the doorway and Rey turned to see Poe Dameron, the bar's announcer, standing there with his hands on his hips smiling brightly at her. Rey giggled despite her nerves, Poe's charm never failing to make her feel more at ease. 

"If anxious is excited, then yes. Absolutely." Rey replied, raising one eyebrow and smiling over at the charismatic man.

"Oh come on now, it'll be great. I've got to go finish prepping but I'll be cheering you on from the sideline. You're gonna kill it." Poe declared, with a smile and a salute, turning on his heel and walking back towards the main floor. Maz took that moment to enter the dressing area as well, surveying the group of girls who were all finished preparing for the night ahead.

"Alright ladies, five minutes until open. Bazine, I need to switch you with Korr and Ezra, so you'll be serving for the first half of the night. It looks like it'll be busy so I need less hands at the bar and more on stage. Break a leg, ladies! Remember to smile. Jessika, Rey I need to speak with you two privately." Maz finished, turning around back towards her office and motioning over her shoulder for the two to follow her. Rey quickly undressed, her t-shirt getting caught on the lengthy hair piece and tugging at her hair. Jessika noticed her struggle and helped her untangle the two and handed her the matching top and bottom of the tiny sand-colored bikini as well as a pair of strappy, mahogany high heels. Rey heard the rattle before the snap as Jessika fastened a chain around her neck that hung down past her feet and rested on the floor, finishing off the mock-slave look. Rey couldn't help but wrap her hands around herself, trying to shield her body as a draft drifted over parts of her that had rarely seen the light of day. The other girl slapped her hands away with a look, continuing on towards Maz's office while Rey trudged along anxiously.

Maz was waiting by the door when the two reached the small office down the hallway. She stepped aside and gave Rey a once over as the younger girl hastily brushed into the room.

"Rey stop covering yourself up, my god you look absolutely terrified." Maz accused, adjusting her glasses and shaking her head.

Rey closed her eyes and let out the breath of air she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. She relaxed her shoulders and rolled her head from side to side to release some of the tension.

"Do I need Bazine to take over for you? I have a reputation to uphold here, so tell me now if you don't think you can go on hun." Maz urged, looking at Rey with compassion in her eyes.

"No, I can do it." Rey insisted with much more confidence. Several moments passed as Maz stared into Rey's eyes, until a slow, proud smile stretched across her wrinkled face.

"I know that you can. Jessika, show her where she'll start from. You'll be center tonight while Rey is on your left. Get moving." Maz rushed, checking the watch on her wrist and turning towards her desk where a pile of paperwork sat.

Rey and Jessika looked at one another and then began to walk hurriedly from the room towards backstage where they would await their cue to emerge in front of the crowd. Rey's mind was going a mile a minute, her heart hammering in her chest and her palms sweaty. The sound of their heels echoed through the narrow and dimly lit hallway, and Rey's breath came faster with their quick pace and apprehension. Once they reached backstage, Rey could see that Korr was already in her own position, and as Jessika and Rey quickly made their way to their own respective spots, the former gave Rey a quick smile and nod of her head encouragingly.

Rey felt like her heart was about to beat right out of her chest. She could feel the bass reverberating off of the walls and the floor backstage, making her chest and bones shake. The sound of drunken laughter and wolf whistles were audible through the thin curtain standing between her and the stage, making her feel young and unsteady on her heel-clad feet. The walkway wrapped around the majority of the bar's formal seating area, with a wide center stage positioned directly in the middle, outstretched and surrounded by bar stools where customers could sit for a better view. Three poles stood in a triangle on the center stage, and when the music changed to a more sultry ballad, Jessika would walk out first to the poll in the center, followed by Korr to her right and finally, Rey on her left.

Rey felt for Jessika at her side, giving her hand a gentle squeeze which was returned almost instantly. It was hard to make out her friend's face in the now almost completely dark area, but Rey could feel Jessika's eyes on her, trying to discern her expression. Rey registered Poe's voice come on from the microphone on the stage then, hyping up the crowd.

"Gentlemen! And a few ladies, I see." his inviting voice began over the loud-speaker, earning an enthusiastic roar of cheers and whistles from the crowd. "We hope you came thirsty because the bar is open all night and our girls are guaranteed to make your mouths run dry." 

Rey listened as fists began to bang on the tables and cheers rang out at the announcers words. She held on tightly to Jessika's hand, her stomach turning at the anticipation.

"Now I know that you didn't come to Takodana tonight to hear me rattle on, so let's get the night started, yes?" Poe continued as the heavy bass from the stereo system started to slow and become more rhythmic. Rey began to feel herself sink into the sound despite herself, nodding her head to each beat and swaying her hips from side to side trying to match the tempo.

Rey closed her eyes. _"It's about control. You are in control."_ She recalled Jessika saying earlier. As Poe's voice finally cut off and the music got louder still, Jessika gave her one last final squeeze before she let go of her hand completely, stepped forward and disappeared on the other side of the curtain. Rey could make out the faint glow of the spotlight through the heavy material that shone down on the stage, directly on the dancers night after night. Several among the crowd expressed their satisfaction at seeing Jessika appeared, but the cheers were far fewer as more people chose to simply watch as Jessika moved. 

After Jessika's melody faded out and Korr's began to play, all of Rey's attention went to controlling her breathing and her shaking hands. Rey watched as a sliver of light stretch across the floor and outlined Korr's figure as she stepped through the curtain, her steps firm and confident and the crowd taking her in. Once the curtain fell back into place behind her, the sounds coming from the crowd became muffled slightly and Rey was once again in the dark, this time all alone. 

Time seemed to stretch on as she waited for Korr's song to finish and her's to begin. Every once and a while she could hear shouts from when she stood backstage, imagining the faces that she would soon see staring up at her, expectantly. The bass from the surround sound speakers the club used shook her where she stood, so she was grateful she had chosen a song with a steady beat but far less bass. 

As several moments passed and Korr's song began to fade, Rey heard the beginning of a new song start to build. Knowing her time had come, she took a deep breath, schooled her expression and smoothed out her brow, reaching out a hand to pull the curtain to the side.

  


When Rey stepped out from behind the curtain, all she could see was blinding light. The spotlight was so bright overhead in fact, that she staggered at first, turning around and pulling at the curtain to keep herself upright. She could tell just by the energy in the room that it was a full house tonight, the air thick with bodies and smoke making it difficult to breathe. Rey registered that the opening chords to her song were still playing and that she only had so much time before it would be impossible to recover and please the crowd. She could feel a number of eyes start to look at her as those in the room became aware of her presence on stage.

As the lyrics began to ring out through the club, Rey steeled herself and ran her hand down the length of the curtain, starting to move to the beat. 

_Desperado, sitting in an old Monte Carlo,_

The music she chose had an old Western feel to it that had the crowd growing calmer, watching as Rey began to lose herself to the words. 

_A man whose heart is hollow_

_Take it easy, I'm not trying to go against you, actually, I'm going with you. ___

Rey let herself sink into the words and the beat that surrounded her, keeping her back to the crowd and rolling her hips in a slow circle, barely registering the whistles and shouts the move incited from those seated closest to the stage. Rey turned her head slightly and looked over her shoulder, noticing that she couldn't make out a single face in the crowd, the only visible bodies under the bright lights being herself, Jessika ahead of her facing the crowd and Korr, snaking herself around the pole to her right. The walkway shone under her, a series of lights lining it's border and illuminating where she could walk in order to reach more of the room. She slowly began to walk forward, steps in time with the steady drum, lifting the chain around her neck with both hands and letting it drag behind her.

_Gotta get up out of here, you ain't leaving me behind,_

Rey watched as Jessika starting drifting her hands up and down her body, looking intensely around the room and spinning slowly, accepting tips that patrons either handed to her or threw onto the stage with a wolfish smile. Korr turned and watched as Rey made her way to the space on the left, using the pole at her back to stable herself as she dipped low and gave Rey a subtle nod of encouragement. 

_You need me, there ain't no leaving me behind, never, no, no, just want out of here._

_Yeah, once I'm gone, ain't no going back. ___

As Rey drew closer to her side of the stage, the faces in the crowd became clearer, numerous sets of eyes watching her, enraptured. There were much older men with expensive suits seated closest to the stage, most accompanied by beautiful women who were either looking at their nails or at Rey, bored. Rey forced her eyes shut, reaching out to the pole at her side and walking around it, giving the audience a full view of her. As the song went on she could see Jessika and Korr dancing with one another face to face, their hands drifting lazily down one another's back, both of their gazes on an individual in the crowd. Rey followed their gaze to a dark-haired man who sat stonily towards the back of the room. He was seated with three others, all of them coolly observing the two girls practiced movements. Rey turned away, focusing back on herself and the motion of her own body in the space around her. The faces in the crowd blurred away as she turned her face to the ceiling and the spotlight, walking languidly around the pole, one hand around the metal base, the other dragging the heavy chain across the floor behind her.

A hand suddenly came into Rey's line of view as she sauntered back around in front of the spectators, calmly holding out a bill for her to grab. Rey stared, a little taken aback and decided to do another walk around before acknowledging the offer. Once she saw that the hand was still outstretched, she took the tip timidly, looking at the face of her admirer as she did so. It was a boy with dark skin, not much older than Rey as far as she could tell. He sported a kind smile and winked as his hand brushed Rey's. He didn't move as she stood back up, just watched as she slipped the bill under the fabric covering her left breast, smiling coyly. Rey turned away from him moving further down the platform, now boldly looking into the eyes of those who lined the stage. 

_It's working._ she thought, awed. _They like this._ She began touching her self and playing it up for all of the eyes on her, judging the responses she received. With a hint of pride, and not so little pleasure she realized how enthusiastic the crowd was becoming, more and more eyes turning to watch her administrations. 

_You are in control._ she reassured herself. She began to feel that power Jessika had mentioned earlier, her body moving with much less effort and much more confidence. She closed her eyes and fed off of the cheers, a dreamy smile lighting up her face. 

It was amazing how nervous she had been, now feeling so much power in front of the crowd around her. More and more hands began to shoot out, wanting their turn for her attention, offering her bill after bill that she stored away in the few available spots in her tiny costume, much to their delight. She used the chain around her neck to wrap around a lucky few who ventured close enough, pulling them towards her where they could stash the money on her body themselves. 

Together, Rey, Jessika and Korr made the crowd go wild, drinks spilling around the room and people tripping over themselves to get closer to the girls. Rey relished the attention on her and lost herself to the music, swaying under the spotlights for the rest of the night. 

_yeah, there ain't nothing, there ain't nothing here for me_

So caught up in her euphoria, however, she didn't notice the silhouette at the back of the bar who silently slipped out into the night, a phone pressed carefully to their ear, words rushing to the being on the other end.

_there ain't nothing here for me anymore,_

All Rey could do was dance. 

_But I don't wanna be alone._

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not totally sure how long this story is going to be, seeing that i am one of the least organized people on this planet and cant be bothered to truly outline the chapters. BUT it should be fairly long.
> 
> Thank you for reading and i hope you like it so far!!
> 
> p.s. i'm not one for editing things, so if you see a grammatical error or what have you and it really bothers you, feel free to let me know so i can go back and correct it.
> 
> p.p.s the song is Desperado by Rihanna- i highly recommend it. 10/10
> 
> p.p.p.s. no Kylo Ren as I'm sure you've noticed, but next chapter will be entirely his pov!


End file.
